Located just north of Reynoldsburg, Sakana Sushi Asian Fusion is a new full-service Pan-Asian
restaurant with a Thai spin.

The decor of the main dining area is on the elegant side and uses simple materials in a
cost-effective way. In the back is a sushi bar.

Although new, the menu already has plenty of corrections inked in. Other corrections are needed,
such as eliminating references to baby bok choy, which the restaurant apparently never offered as a
garnish.

The steamed dumplings ($5) are hearty enough to make a meal. Dough is tightly wrapped around
chicken that has been minced with scallion and carrot shreds, giving the mix a hearty flavor and
consistency.

As a bonus, the soy-based dipping sauce is a lot more interesting than the usual stuff.

The “spicy” Vietnamese summer rolls ($5) aren’t that spicy. What makes them different from most
versions are the slivers of mango inside the translucent wrap, which also contains standard rice
noodles and slices of shrimp. The sweet-and-sour dipping sauce can provide a degree of background
heat to the refreshing rolls.

The starter lineup also has a tom yum shrimp soup ($4). This version of the Thai classic is said
to be done with galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf, all crucial Thai seasonings for tom yum
recipes. The soup is reasonably authentic but could use an extra dose of the Thai seasonings.

One of the more interesting entrees is the crispy red snapper ($16). A large, thick piece of
fish is crisp, skillfully glazed and finished with onion, green beans, asparagus pieces and,
instead of the printed menu’s promise of baby bok choy, a more pedestrian array of broccoli
crowns.

The Thai casserole ($14.50) combines chicken and shrimp with Asian eggplant, onion and sweet
peppers in a spicy mix of coconut milk and Thai yellow curry (not the red curry listed on the
menu). It is a mildly spiced, reasonably competent dish that could stand to have more of the
traditional Thai seasonings in the curry mix.

A laid-back chili heat is found in the sweet sauce of the “mild mango” shrimp ($12.95). The star
of the dish is the generous quantity of mango, cut into thick strips and tossed with a hint of
jicama root and crisped vermicelli noodles.

In the Pan-Asian spirit, an Indonesian-influenced entree, beef samba ($10.95), consists of an
oily stir-fry of beef strips with eggplant, mushroom, onion, sweet pepper and scallion. The pieces
of beef have picked up some Indonesian spicing, but the spicing won’t inflame timid diners.

The sushi lineup is extensive. One offbeat item is the calamari roll ($5.50) wrapped in a cone
of seaweed. The center is deep-fried, crisp calamari, surrounded by white rice and thin strips of
cucumber, and moistened with a sweet eel-based sauce. The dish is mild and satisfying.

The maki platter ($13) has a large quantity of colorfully presented wrapped sushi. There are
three rows: one each of salmon, tuna and yellowtail. Each row gets a different color — yellow,
green and pink — of soy-based wrap.

As sushi goes, it is very plain — just the fish and the rice. Added interest must come from the
application of wasabi paste, soy sauce and thin slices of pickled ginger.